Qadri’s tirade arrives before he lands

LAHORE - Dr Tahirul Qadri, who will be landing at the Islamabad airport on June 23 to launch a sustained movement to bring about “people’s revolution”, called upon the army on Wednesday to take control of the airport for the day to ensure his security as the federal and the Punjab government could do anything to harm him.In a news conference through video link, he lodged a ‘public FIR’ that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, federal ministers Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Khwaja Asif, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Pervaiz Rashid, Abid Sher Ali and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah would be responsible in case he, any member of his family or any leader of his movement were harmed immediately after his return or thereafter.The head of the Pakistan Awami Tehrik alleged that he leaders named by him could order any terrorist act as “some terrorist groups are working directly under the control and supervision of the present rulers”. The rulers, he alleged, were capable of causing a terrorist activity of any magnitude. “They are the real leaders of terrorists”.Dr Qadri said he was informing the army and the judiciary in advance about the threat he was facing at the hands of the present rulers. The PAT chief who had made an abortive bid to block last year’s general elections and had returned to Canada after losing a legal battle in the Supreme Court, held out an assurance that all his supporters who came to receive him at the Islamabad airport would remain absolutely peaceful. However, in case the government baton charged them or took any other provocative step, they alone would be responsible for all consequences.Assailing the current political system as the custodian of the interests of the elite, Dr Qadri said people would not get their constitutional rights and fruits of real democracy unless a revolution was brought about with the backing of the people. “We’ll have to fight to get rid of the existing system”.Apprehending that the rulers could portray his movement as one against the constitution, the PAT chief said “liars are those who call the fight for people’s rights as a fight against the constitution; liars are those who call struggle for people’s empowerment as campaign against democracy”.Insisting that a revolution alone was the solution to all problems, Dr Qadri said he was returning to Pakistan for the enforcement of what he called the suspended articles of the constitution.Referring to the claims made by various government functions that Dr Qadri’s movement did not enjoy people’s support, the PAT chief said if this was so then there was no reason for the rulers to be unnerved. In response to a question, he said PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Dr Hasan Mohayuddin Qadri (PAT chief’s elder son) were holding talks with various political and religious leaders to seek their support for the movement for people’s rights.RANA SANA: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah immediately rejected the allegations leveled by Dr Qadri against the PML-N leadership. “He has been making such misstatements in the past as well”.He alleged that Dr Qadri was out to derail the democratic system. “But we will not let him succeed in his designs”.

This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 12-Jun-2014 here.